Northeastern Australia, particularly the state of Queensland, has faced record-breaking rainfall of up to 2 meters, or 6.5 feet, since Feb. 1, reportedly leaving at least two people dead. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli called the damage “quite frankly incredible,” with the state experiencing nonstop rains, heavy flooding and power outages, BBC reported. He also called the extreme weather event a “once-in-a-century occurrence.” The situation is starting to ease in some cities of Queensland such as Townsville, with residents able to return home, Crisafulli told a media briefing. But hundreds of properties are expected to have been submerged in floodwaters, some due to rising river levels. Towns farther north, such as Ingham and Cardwell, are experiencing power outages and damaged roads Authorities have recorded two fatalities so far. A 63-year-old woman died in Ingham when the rescue boat she was riding in capsized. The body of an 82-year-old woman was also found in a cane field in Bemerside near Ingham, The Guardian reported. Bruce Highway, a major road in Queensland, was partly damaged by the flooding. A bridge on the highway partially collapsed, falling into the floodwaters below, forcing trucks bringing essential supplies to the most affected towns to take a long detour, ABC reported. Electricity to Palm Island, a small archipelago located off the coast of northern Queensland, was also cut off for several days. Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey told local media: “I’ve lived on Palm Island my whole life, and this is the worst I’ve seen in terms…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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